Exclusive: Woman critically hurt in Jersey City hit and run calls on driver to come forward
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A young woman critically injured in a hit and run in New Jersey is calling on the driver to come forward.
"If you're ever wondering I am still here. And we will be looking for you," said the victim, Judy Tugonon, speaking exclusively with Eyewitness News.
Her message is for the driver of the Jeep who blew through a Jersey City intersection without stopping, even though Judy had the right of way.
"I'm currently in ICU undergoing a procedure to help me breathe because of my collapsed lung," she said.
The 25-year-old mother has been in and out of ICU at the Jersey City Medical Center for almost two weeks with a broken pelvis, ribs and back.
On Sunday March 18th at about 8:15 p.m. at the intersection of West Side Avenue and Boyd Avenue in Jersey City, an SUV made a right turn as she was crossing the street.
"All of a sudden I hear a bang and this faint cry for help," said eyewitness Jessie Rosario. "So I run out and there's this woman in the middle of the road. She's bleeding, she has tire marks on her body."
"She got to about the middle of the crosswalk when the car cut, it hit her, dragged her about 30 feet," said the victim's aunt, Katherine Foxworth.
After all of that, Tugonon is lucky to be alive.
"To the driver of the night of my incident, I'd appreciate it if you come forward and at least apologize to my family to whom I care for and I am the main caregiver and supporter," she said.
Tugonon is the mother of a 10-year-old girl. She also cares for her mother, who is disabled.
The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office is handling the case and says the investigation is ongoing.
----------
